Ardor
by iulli17
Summary: After an encounter with an overly-friendly shopkeeper, Gon begins to realize that his feelings for his best friend might be more than platonic. GonxKillua fluff / Oneshot


_A/N_: My first HxH oneshot. Basically, just a lot of fluff! Killua and Gon literally kill me. I'm in love with them at the moment, not even sorry. This particular fiction takes place sometime in the near future. The boys are 16 years old. Post reunion. No spoilers, since I'm still behind a bit in the main story line. I just wanted to write a drabble about Gon realizing his feelings for Killua... since he's so oblivious otherwise. I like to think that he figures everything out, eventually. In some accidental way.

Enjoy the read!

* * *

It didn't really happen in any in particular way.

There was no outstanding backdrop or historic symphony.

It was completely ordinary. Much like their friendship, it developed like second nature, as if ardor was the only logical thing to follow.

For instance, it wasn't strange for the two of them to share a bed. Quite the contrary, it was normal. When their budget fell low, they saw no issue in opting for a one divan hotel room. It never occurred to them that perhaps this normality in sharing sheets wasn't common for other boys their age.

Gon specifically found allocation with his best friend to be one of the greater joys in life. Having been together for so long, it seemed like a given rather than a taboo to lie next to Killua. Occasionally enjoying the scent of his shampooed hair or memorizing his short breaths while he slept was merely an additional familiarity. It wasn't odd in the slightest.

While Gon innocently assumed these feelings were customary, neither he nor Killua had much to base their friendship off of. Both had spent the first 12 years of their lives without camaraderie, becoming each other's first allies outside of family.

If sleeping side by side felt normal, then it was. Which is why it also must have been normal that each other's hearts raced every time their arms brushed beneath the blankets, or a swell of happiness occurred when they awoke face to face, sleep still dusted in the corners of their eyes.

They were best friends, after all. And it was perfectly acceptable to be enamored with each other. Wasn't it?

Everything changed one fated day while Gon was in the shopping district of a seaside town just North of Whale Island. He and Killua had been traveling as Hunters, taking on miscellaneous assignments for the fun of it. To most people, their work seemed daunting. But to the two teenagers, it was one satisfying adventure after another. Facing danger and discovering new lands was something they were built for.

On this particular mission, they had been asked to search the depths of a hazardous coastal reef to locate a precious gem that had been lost a century before. The townsfolk had been in great poverty after losing this gem and displacing it would mean the return of local prosperity. Though multiple villagers warned the boys of the perilous waters, Gon reassured them that they would find it.

It only took the teenaged hunters two separate dives before the infamous stone was back in the townsfolk's hands. However, the day after their dive, Killua cursed Gon for making them plummet so deep into the cold ocean without proper equipment. Such neglect resulted in the ex-assassin contracting a minor head cold. It was the first time he felt sick in years, or so he claimed. Gon mindlessly laughed off his friend's ailment, much to the Zoldyck's irritation. He knew that Killua never truly _fell ill_. It was more of an excuse to be lazy. Out of spite, Killua refused to get out of bed, leaving Gon to decide how to spend the rest of his day alone. He chose to explore town, although doing anything without company seemed dull.

After wandering aimlessly for several hours, he found himself in a convenience store where he was asked an unexpected question by a friendly shopkeeper.

"You want all twenty boxes?"

"Yes, ma'am." Gon had placed his selected items on the shop's counter, grinning outwardly.

"I've never sold this many at once before…." The woman studied him. Gon's toned physique and bright smile made her knees buckle. "You're certainly a good looking young man." She complimented.

Gon tilted his head, "Oh, you think so?"

"I hope you don't mind me asking," She continued, "but do you have any plans of meeting someone special and settling down in the future?"

This was certainly a forward question. Unbeknown to Gon, the shopkeeper was a proud mother of one daughter, bent on setting her up with a proper suitor. Coincidentally, any handsome man who stumbled into her store was fair game.

Gon, being the naïve 16 year old that he was, openly responded, "I'm not sure if I'll ever really settle down, but I've definitely met someone special."

"Oh, you have?" The woman seemed disappointed.

"Yeah, my best friend! He's always been special to me."

Hope reappeared in the shopkeeper's eyes, "I apologize, I must not have phrased by question correctly. What I meant to ask was, do you intend on meeting a _significant_ person that you'll want to marry and spend your life with someday?"

Gon stood silently for a moment, taking the woman's revised question to mind. Did he plan on meeting someone like that in the future? Who could possibly fit those criteria? From what he'd been told over the years by his adoring Aunt Mito, marriage took place between a man and a woman post courtship. But he couldn't think of a single girl in his life that he wanted to date and eventually wed. This was mildly frustrating….. What frustrated him further was the undefined idiom _someone significant_.

"I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused. What do you mean by a significant person?"

The woman eyed him, "How old are you?"

"I'll be 17 in May."

He was certainly older than she originally thought. His simplicity was misleading. Despite this, she offered him an explanation, "Well young man, a significant person is someone in your life that you cherish over everyone else. Their bond with you is irreplaceable. You won't be able to imagine a world without them. They'll be on your mind, even at the most unnecessary of times. You'll notice small things about them and appreciate their imperfections. You'll want to be beside them, help them, and share your life with them. You'll put their needs above yours and feel a strong urge to protect them and make them happy. Need I go on?"

"….So, like a family member?"

"More like….your home."

Gon blinked.

"No matter where you are, you feel like you're home when you're with them."

The dark-haired teenager stood with his back straight; a lump forming in his throat.

"Returning to my original question, have you ever thought about possibly meeting someone special like that? Because I have a beautiful daughter who's just about your age. I would love to introduce you! I have a feeling you two would hit it off."

There was a long pause as Gon's mind processed whether or not there truly was someone significant in his life. Someone he couldn't replace. Someone constantly on his mind. Someone he wanted to keep by his side, protect, and share everything with. Someone who felt like home.

There was really only one person who fit the bill. His heart began to pound.

The ring of the bell at the shop's entryway snapped Gon out of his stupor. For some odd reason, his hands felt sweaty, "I'm sure your daughter is a great person. But…..like I said, I've already met someone special."

The shopkeeper rolled her eyes, "Are you still referring to your friend? You must be confused about the difference between a lover and an acquaintance."

He looked her directly in the eye, "No, I don't think I'm confused anymore."

She tilted her head, "You're not?"

"Sorry to take up your time." Gon handed her several pieces of jenny before picking up the plastic bag containing his purchases. "Thank you."

The store grew inadvertently silent as she watched him leave. "The poor kid must have something wrong with his head…."

Outside, the sky had clouded over and drops of rain began peppering the sidewalk. Gon rushed to take refuge under an overhanging roof while the spring shower passed. As he waited, he took some deep breaths to calm his nerves. What he had just figured out was unsettling, in the sense that it should have been figured out a lot sooner.

He dug into his shopping bag and pulled out one of twenty chocolate robots. He had used the last of his jenny to purchase them. "Killua…." He stared down at the box in his hand, "Maybe you'll find a secret one this time…?" He grinned.

No matter how he deciphered the shopkeeper's words, her explanation of what _someone significant_ meant led Gon's thoughts directly to Killua. He was Gon's _significant _person.

If only Gon had comprehended this years ago. Killua must have been this important to him for a long time. Now that he understood the difference between "_just a"_ and "_more than" _a friend, he felt something tighten and burn in his chest. The feeling persisted, even after the long walk back to the hotel. And it intensified when he met up with his friend and handed him the bag of chocolate treats.

Killua grumbled and rubbed the back of his neck as he accepted the bag, "Candy doesn't help with head colds, stupid."

"Yeah, but I knew you'd prefer it over medicine."

The Zoldyck boy was happy about the robots, despite not letting it show. This was one of the many quirks Gon enjoyed about him.

Now that he was aware of his feelings, he anticipated their sleeping arrangement when they lowered their backs against the same flat mattress later that evening.

Killua turned his back to Gon and yawned as he switched off the nearby light.

As the dark-haired hunter's eyes adjusted to the shadows, he wondered what Killua must have been feeling all those years. There had been many times where he had tested the limits and patience of their friendship, however Killua remained loyal. Gon had made plenty of mistakes and each and every one of them seemed to go forgiven by the ex-assassin. Even after an extended separation from each other, the threads that wove them together remained tight and inevitably reunited them…..Which is why Gon concluded that he must have been daft for not noticing their intimacy sooner.

When the silhouette of his adjacent comrade became visible, Gon's mind cleared. _That's right_, he thought. _We must have been this close from the beginning._ He was always the last one to figure things out. He hoped he hadn't kept Killua waiting for too long, if he had at all. That was his next concern: How did Killua feel about him?

"Hey, Gon." The hush of the room was unexpectedly broken.

Gon, who had been caught off guard, tensed up, "Y-yeah?"

"I've been thinking…. you haven't been home in a while. Mito probably wants to see you, right? This town has a port. We can take a break from our assignments and visit if you want?"

The adjacent hunter shifted his body weight, "You're right, Whale Island isn't far from here. But Mito knows that we're busy. I'm sure she wouldn't want us to visit just for her sake. She's like that, you know."

Killua closed his tired eyes, "That's not what I meant. We've been traveling for over a year….Aren't you homesick by now?"

Gon stared across the sheets. The answer to Killua's question was simple. Just like the answer to all of his own questions was simple. He waited a moment before taking a deep breath, "Why would I be homesick when I'm already with you?"

Killua's blue eyes opened, "….Eh?"

Gon took this opportunity to move closer and wrap an arm around his friend's torso, pressing his face into his back.

Every muscle in the Zoldyck teen's body froze.

Though he was sure he'd experienced it before, Gon breathed in and savored the scent of his companion. He tightened his grip around him, "Where ever you are, Killua. That's home for me."

The sensation of Gon's body pressed against his was familiar, and yet brand new. Killua didn't realize it at first, but his gaped lips had curved into a smile. He pushed backwards into the embrace, clutching his fists around the contiguous blankets. "You idiot. Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Of course I do! You're the most significant person in my life. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realize that." Gon's earnest words were barely digestible.

The silver-haired boy could feel the skin on his face radiate, "….Wh-what?"

"...Killua, I love you." He leaned in until his chin lay lovingly in the crook of Killua's neck, speaking into his ear.

Would it be too much to ask Gon to repeat himself? Hearing such affectionate words was superbly climactic. "How am I supposed to respond to that?"

Gon could hear a degree of joy in Killua's voice that hadn't been present before. "Say you love me too?" He breathed a response, loosening and then tightening his grip several times over. He could feel Killua's heart hammering and the warmth of his frame.

The young Zoldyck let out a short huff, "Shouldn't it be obvious?"

Before Gon could protest, he felt Killua's hand graze across his arm before lacing through his fingers.

He let the room fall silent. Killua was right, his love for Gon was already obvious. It had been since their friendship began.

The moment of grandeur didn't linger. Once it passed, everything felt normal again. They were still lying in the cheap hotel room, littered by empty chocolate robot boxes, none of which had been secret editions. There were no fireworks or immortalizing trials. It was just the two of them, advancing into the expected. It was entirely ordinary.

But sometimes, they both decided, ordinary things can be extraordinary.

"_Let's stick together!" _Killua remembered Gon once saying, years ago.

Thinking back now, he had to repeatedly scoff, "_Yeah. That doesn't sound so bad."_

x


End file.
